Andrew

A Not So Hidden Passion
Andrew Connors

	Thursday, 08 December 2011 Local IQ Andrew Connors brings infectious enthusiasm to his job as curator at the Albuquerque Museum and opens the doors wide to the public By Jessica Depies Local IQ Andrew Connors' eyes light up when he is asked to detail upcoming projects slated for the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. He starts with December's exhibition, Social Satire and Commentary, and a subsequent feature of prints from Francisco De Goya, circa 1795. Connors grows animated as he continues to speak. As the curator of art for the museum (a job he's held for the past two years), the passion Connors displays for his position is to be expected, but one that has been building over the course of his entire life. Even though he grew up in suburban Denver, Connors' parents would take him and his siblings to New Mexico around the holidays, where he first became enchanted with the idea of working with art. Visiting the Palace of the Governors and the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, as well as the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, Connors' engagement in art at a young age began to mold his future. "In Taos, we loved to visit the Millicent Rogers Museum, and I was drawn to the drama and theatricality of the installation of a Penitente Morada, with a lit candle burning in the middle of the floor," Connors recalled in a recent interview with Local IQ. "It was probably the power of the Millicent Rogers installation that really made me want to create that magic for other people." Connors certainly has succeeded in that task. His zeal for art has stayed with him since those days in Taos. After finishing college, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he spent 15 years working at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 1999, Connors returned to the southwest, and established roots in New Mexico. Once here, Connors continued his work in museums, spending seven years helping found the National Hispanic Cultural Center. He then became the chair of the art department at the Albuquerque Academy. The way he sees it, Connors said, "I've been an art curator my whole life." In 2009, Connors brought his rich background in art to the Albuquerque Museum. Since his appointment, the curator's hard work has been made evident to local art enthusiasts. As Connors' co-worker and the Albuquerque Museum's Curator of Education, Elizabeth Becker, commented to Local IQ, "I admire Andrew's commitment to making art accessible to everyone. People tend to feel more confident looking at art after attending a training, program or having a conversation with Andrew. He brings (a tangible) energy to his work (that) is infectious." So what, exactly, is the work that Connors does? In his own words, being a curator is "a job that not a whole lot of people have, therefore not a whole lot of people have a concept of really what is done." Connors went on to describe his job as one that is comprised of three parts: organizing and finding exhibitions, building the museum's permanent collection and public service. While the first two parts are the most visible, public service (which includes responding to inquiries on pieces of art, cooperation with various artists and basically providing information on Albuquerque and its signature museum) takes up a good deal of Connors' time. "There are weeks that go by where I do nothing but public service, and really can't focus on the exhibitions that everybody thinks I spend all my time doing," he says. Connors' commitment to educating the public on art - something he clearly cares about - is an undeniable aspect of his job. And while the city's curator is full of knowledge on art, his favorite part of the job, he revealed, is 'constant learning.' It's that constant education that I really love," Connors said, "and exposing myself to things that I've never thought of before. And suddenly they become my favorites. When you truly love something, you can never learn enough about it." As Connors elaborates on the museum's efforts to further connect to the community; to open up to collaborators in the arts world; even to expand the hours of free admission each month, one thing is clear: that kind of passion means that you never stop learning.

	From Local IQ Dec 8, 2011